The present invention relates to distribution equipment such as splitters and directional couplers for TV signals used for TV community receiving facilities and is particularly concerned with a connector to which a coaxial cable is connected.
An electrical coaxial connector is fixed on a casing of distribution equipment with circuit parts such as a printed wiring board installed therein, and external signals are transmitted to the circuit parts from a coaxial cable by way of this coaxial connector.
Generally, the electrical coaxial connector is provided with an outer cylindrical conductor to which an outer conductor (outer braid conductor normally) provided around the coaxial cable for grounding is connected, an almost cylindrical insulator inserted in the outer conductor, and an inner resilient conductive member inserted and fixed in the insulator and having an internal conductor (center conductor normally) for transferring signals of the coaxial cable inserted and so connected therein.
Screw threads are formed on the outer periphery of the outer conductor, and the coaxial cable can be connected and fixed to the coaxial connector of the distribution equipment by screwing a connecting nut for the coaxial cable which is provided through the outer braid conductor on the threads. The outer conductor of the coaxial connector and the outer braid conductor of the coaxial cable are connected for conduction to each other by connecting and fixing the coaxial cable to the coaxial connector, and the inner resilient conductive member of the coaxial connector and the internal conductor of the coaxial cable are also connected for conduction at the same time.
The insulator functions to fix and hold the inner resilient conductive member at the central position of the outer conductor with the two parts kept insulated electrically from each other, and is inserted and fixed in the outer conductor. A conventional method for inserting and fixing the insulator in the outer conductor comprises providing a stopper on the inner part (in the direction inside the casing) of the outer conductor, inserting the almost cylindrical insulator until it comes into contact with the stopper, pressing an inlet end portion of the outer conductor radially inward to cause deformation (calking), and calking an end portion of the insulator to fix the same.
However, such a method for fixing the insulator by calking the inlet end portion of the outer conductor is not only unsatisfactory since it spoils the appearance as a consequence of an uneven shape on the calked portion but also gives rise to cracks in the calked portion in the case where the outer conductor is made of a material which cannot easily undergo plastic deformation. On the other hand, since a calking process is included in the assembling process of the distribution equipment, the assembling work becomes complicated.